Moving domains

[timelord726]

I currently have a single owned vBulletin license. I am going to be transferring this license from one domain to another and creating an entirely new site and forum.

Would I be within my licensing rights to leave the old forum running in an archived state (that is to say, absolutely no new registrations or posts of any kind, but preserving the existing posts for posterity/archive purposes) and continue to use my license on the new site instead?

The old forum would not even be viewable by guests — it would just be preserved for my old members as a historical archive. I don't want to move the users and posts to the new site, but I don't want to lose them forever either.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Trevor Hannant]

The license agreement states:

vBulletin license grants you the right to run one instance (a single installation) of the Software on one web server and one web site for each license purchased. Each license may power one instance of the Software on one domain. For each installed instance of the Software, a separate license is required. Modifications to the Software or database to circumvent the one-license-one-board rule are prohibited.

As this would be two installations....

[timelord726]

As this would be two installations....

I do realize what the license agreement states, and I figured that would be the first response I would get. Still, I was wondering if the terms might be stretched a little, as the old forum will be completely closed down and locked off. No members, no posts, no nothing. I just want to keep it as an archive. People wouldn't be able to use it for anything except reading (and unregistered members wouldn't even be able to do that much). It would just be a static means of displaying historical posts, nothing more. Not a forum, more like a static HTML page.

I had hoped that I might be able to leave it running under those terms. If not, I guess I'll have no choice but to accept it, but it will be a great shame and a significant loss to lose more than five years worth of posts, as there is no reason for me to move them over to the new site.

[Floris]

Flips coin:

No.

[timelord726]

Flips coin:

No.

Are these answers authoritative? Because I don't really know how to take them.

[Floris]

Which is why it's best to open a support ticket

You are allowed to run 1 instance.
If you move from a to b you can have both installs up and running during the move, but this is temporary and the old instance should be unavailable (not a live site).

[Trevor Hannant]

If they bend the license agreement for one, they have to do it for the tens of thousands of other customers who would want to do the same thing.

Then, how do they police that? What's to stop these getting reactivated?

And does the "bending" stop there? If they bend one part of the agreement they'll be inundated with requests to bend other parts until the entire thing isn't worth the web page it's published on.

[timelord726]

Which is why it's best to open a support ticket

You are allowed to run 1 instance.
If you move from a to b you can have both installs up and running during the move, but this is temporary and the old instance should be unavailable (not a live site).

Thank you for your input. I have opened a support ticket.

[timelord726]

If they bend the license agreement for one, they have to do it for the tens of thousands of other customers who would want to do the same thing.

Then, how do they police that? What's to stop these getting reactivated?

And does the "bending" stop there? If they bend one part of the agreement they'll be inundated with requests to bend other parts until the entire thing isn't worth the web page it's published on.

Sorry, I didn't see your post before replying to the one previously.

I certainly understand the concern. But the forums would not even be accessible to the public. Anyone visiting the site would just get a "we have moved, go to the new site" message. This would just be an archive so I don't lose the posts.

[Steve Machol]

Are these answers authoritative? Because I don't really know how to take them.

The official answer is that this would require a second license.

[timelord726]

The official answer is that this would require a second license.

Thank you. Looks like the old site will have to die, then. Big loss to me as my old forum defined much of my online life over the past decade, but as a starving college student there's no way I can justify the cost of a second license.

[hitmancode47]

There is one way to do it, but its VERY lengthy and requires hell of a lot of manual input

Keep your old site live and running (Dont install the new one yet)

Make a word document of all the posts/information/data from your old board that you would want.

Remove the old site

Install the new one

Copy and paste data

Simple as that

[Trevor Hannant]

Another possible solution....

Move your database to your new host. Change the forums that you currently have to view only for all groups other than the 'unregistered/not logged in' usergroup (who should have no access) and create new forums for going forward.

[timelord726]

There is one way to do it, but its VERY lengthy and requires hell of a lot of manual input

I'm afraid it's just not worth it for tens of thousands of posts.

But I commend you for your awesome username and avatar.

Another possible solution....

Move your database to your new host. Change the forums that you currently have to view only for all groups other than the 'unregistered/not logged in' usergroup (who should have no access) and create new forums for going forward.

I may just do this. Thanks.